Friday, April 25, 2014

Unmasking the Real Nature of Anonymous

It is no secret that the anonymous commenter has been the
bane of my existence for some time. The anonymous comments that have come my
way in the last three years during the writing of this blog have ranged from
the kind to the very unkind, but the very worst have been the ones that did not
comment on my opinion or my thoughts. They focused on me as a person and my
character.

I was contacted recently by an individual who has a keen
interest in online interactions. A genius no doubt, with a set of skills that
is used to unravel mysteries and beat challenges. One of the things they are
most interested in is the ability to trace supposedly “anonymous” comments to
their source, and reveal the identities of those who have left words they believe
are masked in secrecy.

What they told me, in short, is that anonymity is an
illusion.

There is no guarantee, they said, and it takes time.
Sometimes it is successful, and often times it is not, but in this case there
has been a history of successful revelations of the identity of those who have
left anonymous hate-filled messages for others.

But it can be tried, they said, should I want to pursue it,
and it is something they do for fun and for the challenge, and for no other
reward or recompense. They said that those who are victimized by the anonymous
commenter often have a burning desire to know who it is, the NAME of those who
would attack us as people. They suggested, though, that perhaps this was the
wrong question.

They suggested the real question one might wish to ask is:
Who the hell do these people think they are?

I have on many occasions challenged an anonymous commenter. Meet
me for coffee and say these things to my face. Reveal who you are. Show
yourself, since you have me at a disadvantage, knowing who I am but hiding
yourself in the murky shadows of the internet. It is an offer that in three
years has never been accepted.

The hallmark of anonymity, you see, is cowardice, at least
in this kind of anonymity which is simply used to spread hatred or do harm.

The one who offered services to unmask the anonymous may
well be right. Perhaps the real question is who the hell thinks it is
acceptable to attack one’s character or personhood? Who thinks this is
reasonable, to call someone stupid or far worse, to leave words that they know
will hurt and cause pain?

The reality is the anonymous commenter knows it is not
acceptable or reasonable, because if they did they would see no reason for
anonymity. They would not fear attaching their name to their words, but that
they do not shows that they themselves acknowledge the very fact that their
actions are, at the end of the day, indefensible.

The reality is that the anonymous commenter is quite likely
not a stranger, as my new friend has suggested. They said they could possibly
help me unmask them, but they cannot help me if we learn it is a family member,
a friend, a colleague or a fellow writer. They said that in their experience
the ones who have chosen to be anonymous do so because of their proximity to
the individual, and not because they are strangers – because a total stranger
has no need to be anonymous. They cautioned that we might get the answers, but
that the answers may be more painful than we expected, and do even more harm.

Will I pursue this? Doubtful, as it seems to fall on the
fringes of the internet, a murky world where ethics and morals seem a bit
shadowy. They have offered to help in the future should I ever request it, with
no guarantee of success but with a fairly strong track record of finding ways
to unmask the anonymous. But first I need to come terms with the real question,
you see.

Maybe the question about anonymous isn’t who they are – but who
the hell they think they are.

Followers

McMurray Musings

Get In Touch With Me!

I am always interested in hearing from readers. Have an idea for a story, or want to talk to me about one I've already written? I'd love to hear from you! You can leave a comment on the blog posts or contact me by email at : mcmurraymusings @shaw.ca